First large-scale bot attack on connected televisions

DoubleVerify Fraud Lab identifies a botnet after detecting a 40% increase in traffic from connected TV devices, marking the first direct, large-scale attack by a botnet.

DoubleVerify (DV), a provider of digital media measurement and analysis software, has identified a new robot network specifically targeting connected television devices. DV discovered the botnet after the company detected a 40% increase in traffic of connected devices, marking the first direct, scaled botnet attack that DV has flagged in the connected TV environment.

The fraud scheme was identified by the DV Fraud Lab which, through a combination of machine algorithms and manual processes, continually analyzes fraud trends across devices.

To generate fraudulent impressions, botnet spoofed publisher's real URLs, sending false signals indicating to the ad server that the impressions came from a CTV device. DV also reviewed the types of OTT devices on which this fraud was perpetrated, and found that approximately one-third of the impressions appeared to come from video game consoles, and the other two-thirds from smart TVs.

Wayne Gattinella, CEO of DoubleVerify, acknowledges that "the discovery is not surprising, given that fraud tends to follow the money. Current data shows that approximately 50% of all Internet users access an online video subscription service or a network TV application at least once a week, ad volumes on connected TV and the opportunity for fraud grow in parallel as its use increases among users."

Once DV identified the fraud scheme, the company took immediate steps to protect its global brand clients from potential fraud by extending quality coverage to the entire media transaction. This type of fraud is something DV has previously detected and protected against in desktop and mobile app environments, and is now being addressed in the high-growth connected TV channel.

"We continually perform independent checks of environmental and hardware signals to verify the authenticity of signals and identify discrepancies that point to counterfeiting. DV will continue to be at the forefront of fraud identification, giving advertisers clarity and confidence in their digital investment," he notes. Roy Rosenfeld, director del DoubleVerify Fraud Lab.